Nikola Ilic
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datamozart.bsky.social
Nikola Ilic
@datamozart.bsky.social
I'm making music from the data🎶 #PowerBI addict, Microsoft Data Platform MVP, O'Reilly Instructor, Pluralsight Author, blogger, speaker, learner...Father of 2, Barca and Messi fan⚽
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A moment of disbelief!

A little more than a year ago, when I started writing a book about #MicrosoftFabric, I couldn't have imagined that the day would come when I would have a physical copy in my hands...
The agenda is here👇👇

"What should I do now?"

Registration closes on Sunday, so grab your seat today: pbig.nl/events/gebru...
February 6, 2026 at 10:15 AM
NEW COURSE ALERT!

I'm thrilled to announce that my 22nd course at @pluralsight.bsky.social has just been released!

Design Lakehouse Architectures with Open Table Formats - using formats such as Delta Lake, Apache Iceberg, and Apache Hudi.

app.pluralsight.com/ilx/video-co...
Pluralsight Skills Player
app.pluralsight.com
February 4, 2026 at 6:00 PM
NEW BLOG POST!

Fabric IQ represents a fundamental shift in how #MicrosoftFabric operates. While the rest of the platform has been laser-focused on where your data lives (lakehouses, warehouses, eventhouses), Fabric IQ is obsessed with what your data means.

data-mozart.com/beyond-the-l...
Beyond the Lakehouse: First Thoughts on Fabric IQ - Data Mozart
Fabric IQ represents a fundamental shift in how Microsoft Fabric operates. While the rest of the platform has been laser-focused on where your data lives (lakehouses, warehouses, eventhouses), Fabric ...
data-mozart.com
February 3, 2026 at 8:28 AM
You asked - and here it is!
The early release of the "Analytics Engineering with #MicrosoftFabric and #PowerBI", which @shbwatson.bsky.social and I write for @oreilly.bsky.social, just got a huge bumper - we've added 8 new chapters to the early release!

learning.oreilly.com/library/view...
Analytics Engineering with Microsoft Fabric and Power BI
While Microsoft Power BI has dominated the business intelligence market for years and is a go-to tool for creating visually appealing, interactive reports and dashboards, it's now... - Selection from ...
learning.oreilly.com
February 2, 2026 at 7:13 PM
All ready and set for Day 1 of the #MicrosoftFabric Analytics Engineer Bootcamp at @oreilly.bsky.social!

If you want to get ready for the DP-600 exam, jump in and let's get it done!

learning.oreilly.com/live-events/...
February 2, 2026 at 11:33 AM
Are you a seasoned #PowerBI professional considering expanding your skill set?
Join Augustin Dokoza Bukvic and me at Power BI Gebruikersgroep on March 5th in the Netherlands for a full-day workshop and level up your Power BI game with #MicrosoftFabric.
February 2, 2026 at 7:42 AM
Every business is a data business now - they just don’t know it yet…

In this article, I'm breaking down the role of an analytics engineer and how it differs from those of data engineers and data analysts.

datamozart.substack.com/p/understand...
Understanding the Role of an Analytics Engineer
Every business is a data business now - they just don’t know it yet…
datamozart.substack.com
January 29, 2026 at 6:43 PM
Hey, my dear #MicrosoftFabric friends, now this is cool...

We can create a connection to various external data sources directly from the notebook!

More details here: learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric...
Fabric Connection with Notebook - Microsoft Fabric
Learn about how you can use a Fabric Connection to access external data sources directly in notebooks.
learn.microsoft.com
January 28, 2026 at 6:16 PM
Reposted by Nikola Ilic
Watch the session 50 Shades of Direct Lake by @datamozart.bsky.social
Event Date: 31st January 2026
Register Now: bit.ly/DT2026-Regis...
Agenda: bit.ly/DT2026-Agenda
#MicrosoftFabric #AI #DataCommunity
January 28, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Stepping outside the comfort zone is a prerequisite for growth, right?

With that in mind, I'll be jumping into something that, until recently, has been an uncharted territory for me - AI and all these fancy new tools that "everyone" is using nowadays.

learning.oreilly.com/live-events/...
Architecting Intelligence: Fabric IQ, Data Agents, and MCP
Build, govern, and automate your data platform
learning.oreilly.com
January 27, 2026 at 1:26 PM
T-8 hours until we are live for another FabriQuiz episode!

Join for some fun and learning, but also a chance to show off your kmowledge and win the prize.

www.youtube.com/live/1q5i_Av...

#MicrosoftFabric
FabriQuiz #2
YouTube video by Data Mozart
www.youtube.com
January 25, 2026 at 9:17 AM
NEW SUBSTACK ARTICLE!

I dive into Fabric IQ, as a new layer of the stack to see how it changes the game for modern data analytics. In this article, I break down why this represents a fundamental shift in how we build data estates.

open.substack.com/pub/datamoza...

#MicrosoftFabric
Beyond the Lakehouse: First Thoughts on Fabric IQ
Announced at Microsoft Ignite 2025, Fabric IQ represents a fundamental shift in how Microsoft Fabric operates
open.substack.com
January 24, 2026 at 10:33 AM
Are you dreaming of becoming a certified #MicrosoftFabric Analytics Engineer?

Join me on Feb 2nd/3rd for Fabric Analytics Engineer Bootcamp at @oreilly.bsky.social! We are dissecting each and every skill tested in the exam.

learning.oreilly.com/live-events/...
Microsoft Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate Bootcamp (DP-600)
Learn in-demand skills and become a certified Fabric Analytics Engineer
learning.oreilly.com
January 22, 2026 at 3:28 PM
For the 4th consecutive year, @sessionize.com recognized me as one of the top 3% active speakers!

Feeling honored and privileged to be accompanied by many amazing data professionals, and looking forward to continuing to share my experience with #MicrosoftFabric and #PowerBI.
January 17, 2026 at 1:48 PM
Reposted by Nikola Ilic
See the numbers behind the new Dataflows Gen2 enhancements. @datamozart.bsky.social's new article benchmarks Dataflow Gen1 against the latest Gen2 optimizations.
From ‘Dataslows’ to Dataflows: The Gen2 Performance Revolution in Microsoft Fabric | Towards Data Science
Dataflows were (rightly?) considered "the slowest and least performant option" for ingesting data into Power BI/Microsoft Fabric. However, things are changing rapidly and the latest Dataflow…
towardsdatascience.com
January 14, 2026 at 1:34 AM
The biggest #MicrosoftFabric event is getting closer!

1️⃣Transition from Data Analyst to Data Engineer: Upgrading Skills from DF G2 to Notebooks. (with my friend @powerbidude.bsky.social)

2️⃣The Ultimate "NO ETL" Showdown: Shortcuts vs Mirroring vs Copy Job

#FABCONSQLCON26
January 13, 2026 at 8:13 AM
Feeling very humbled and honored being part of the Verifiable Skills project and developing #PowerBI content for this brand new solution👇👇

Huge thanks to Michelle Smith and Amelia Blevins from @oreilly.bsky.social for the opportunity.

www.oreilly.com/pub/pr/3477
O’Reilly Launches Verifiable Skills for Targeted Competency-Based Learning
www.oreilly.com
January 12, 2026 at 5:27 PM
Reposted by Nikola Ilic
We are excited to announce a session 50 Shades of Direct Lake by @datamozart.bsky.social
Event Date: 31st January 2026
Register Now: bit.ly/DT2026-Regis...
Agenda: bit.ly/DT2026-Agenda
#MicrosoftFabric #AI #DataCommunity
January 10, 2026 at 3:46 PM
You think you know #MicrosoftFabric?

Then join tomorrow live at 7 PM CET/1 PM EST for the inaugural episode of FabriQuiz - a fun and engaging way to learn, while having a chance to win some cool prizes!

OneLake. One Quiz. One Winner.

youtube.com/live/CdLmguA...
FabriQuiz #1
YouTube video by Data Mozart
youtube.com
January 10, 2026 at 1:36 PM
“What should I do now?”

That’s the most common question we’ve been hearing from #PowerBI professionals since #MicrosoftFabric was introduced as an “end-to-end analytics platform".

Join us at Power BI Gebruikersdagen 2026 in less than two months!

online.fliphtml5.com/PBIGevent/th...
Masterclass: Level Up your Power BI game with Microsoft Fabric
online.fliphtml5.com
January 9, 2026 at 2:19 PM
5️⃣! That's the number of days until the inaugural edition of FabriQuiz!

Learn about #MicrosoftFabric in an engaging way, while having fun and competing with fellow #fabricators for prizes, set your reminder right now!

📆 January 11th

⏰ 7 PM CET / 1 PM EST / 10 AM PST

youtube.com/live/CdLmguA...
FabriQuiz #1
YouTube video by Data Mozart
youtube.com
January 6, 2026 at 1:04 PM
OneLake, One Quiz, One Winner...

In exactly two weeks, join for a fun and engaging way to learn #MicrosoftFabric (and also take your chance to win some cool prizes).

FabriQuiz is coming to you on Sunday, January 11th!

www.youtube.com/live/CdLmguA...
FabriQuiz #1
YouTube video by Data Mozart
www.youtube.com
December 28, 2025 at 1:09 PM
NEW BLOG POST!

#MicrosoftFabric just turned two a couple of weeks ago. There were tons of Fabric announcements in 2025! In this post, I distill the noise and pick the top 5 across the entire platform.

data-mozart.com/microsoft-fa...
Microsoft Fabric - My Top 5 New Features from 2025! - Data Mozart
There were tons of Fabric announcements in 2025! In this post, I distill the noise and pick top 5 across the entire platform
data-mozart.com
December 24, 2025 at 7:17 PM
NEW BLOG POST!

It's Data Mozart's 6th Birthday!

The same as every year, I do a short reflection on the year that is about to end, and reveal some plans and ideas for the year to come...

Thanks everyone for tagging along, and enjoy the holiday season!

data-mozart.com/facts-figure...
Facts & Figures – Data Mozart’s 6th Birthday… - Data Mozart
It's Data Mozart's 6th birthday! Reflections on 2025 and let's make more music from the data in 2026!
data-mozart.com
December 22, 2025 at 10:29 AM
The agenda for #FabCon Atlanta is now live!

I'm thrilled to announce that I'll present two sessions:

1️⃣ Together with my friend Thomas LeBlanc: Transition from Data Analyst to Data Engineer

2️⃣ The Ultimate "NO ETL" Showdown: Shortcuts vs Mirroring vs Copy Job

fabriccon.com/program/agenda
December 16, 2025 at 3:45 PM